Sixty-two people were charged by police during New Year's Eve celebrations in inner Sydney and half of those arrests were at a dance party in Moore Park.
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Police on Thursday praised the behaviour of most revellers attending Sydney's celebrations around the harbour. The 31 arrests among those watching the fireworks were well down on previous years.
Paramedics said they responded to more than 1000 incidents in Sydney on Wednesday night and the period between midnight and 3am on Thursday was the busiest.
NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said those charged had committed a range of offences including assault, and drug-related offences.
"Sydney's New Year's Eve celebrations are widely regarded as some of the best in the world, so we were pleased to see Sydneysiders living up to that reputation and acting responsibly," he said.
Another 31 people were charged by police, and six womenat a dance music event at the Hordern Pavilion were taken to St Vincent's Hospital .
The women, aged between 20 and 24, suffered adverse reactions to the illicit party drugs GHB and ecstasy at the Above & Beyond dance party.
Among those charged was a 23-year-old Victorian woman, who was allegedly found with 15 capsules of MDMA hidden in her bra.
A 29-year-old Punchbowl man was also allegedly found carrying 24 MDMA tablets and prescription drugs. They were both charged with supplying prohibited drugs. They are due to appear in court on January 22.
About 5000 people attended the dance party, featuring the English electronic group Above & Beyond, at the Hordern Pavilion between 8pm and 3am.
Police said officers from the Surry Hills local area command and the police dog unit searched 84 people attending the dance party, and detected drugs on 31 of those people.
They were all issued with court attendance notices for drug offences. Paramedics were also kept busy taking partygoers to hospital.
Police said five women – aged 20, 22, 23 and two aged 24 – were taken to St Vincent's Hospital for suspected adverse reactions to the prohibited drug GHB.
A sixth woman, aged 22, was taken to the same hospital with a suspected adverse reaction to MDMA.
In November, Sydney teenager Georgina Bartter died after suffering an allergic reaction to a drug at the Harbourlife music festival in Sydney.
It is not clear what the 19-year-old took at the festival, held in the Royal Botanic Gardens on November 8.
However, police said a friend thought the teenager had taken 1½ ecstasy pills.
with Nick Ralston
